Gilroy – The final soundwall panel of the Santa Teresa widening project was locked into place Friday, a milestone engineers on the project said.
“The worst is over,” said Charlie Krueger, the resident engineer of the project. “But we still have several months of work left to do.”
The widening project broke ground 11 months ago, and is designed to increase traffic lanes on Santa Teresa Boulevard from two to four, and replace the six -foot soundwalls, many dating back to the late 1960s.
A sidewalk and bike lanes will also be included in the mix; as well as beautification of the roadway by adding a landscaped median strip with decorative lighting.
“Hopefully, we’re making everyone happy,” Krueger said.
There are 507 concrete panels, varying from 10 to 14 feet high, and weighing about 16,000 pounds each, lining the roadway from Sunrise Drive to First Street.
“The old ones were kind on beat up – these are nice looking with a new pattern,” Krueger said.
A sound study conducted before the project determined the size and placement of the panels.
Each concrete slab had to be secured using a crane and several crew members. With the last panel stabilized, the only heavy construction yet to be completed is the paving of the roadway.
Irrigation and electrical work also must be finished before landscaping occurs.
“It was a major milestone … It was a lot of work,” said engineering inspector Steve Beams.
The project is expected to wrap up by the end of the year and will cost an estimated $8 million.
